1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote start controller for a vehicle, which is used to start the engine of the vehicle parked at a location distant from a user, such as a parking lot.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle such as an automobile, a starter motor is actuated using a battery installed in a vehicle body as a power supply and an engine is cranked by the rotation force of the motor, to start the engine. To actuate the starter motor, a driver inserts an ignition key into the key hole of an ignition switch and turns the ignition key at a predetermined angle, thereby turning on the ignition switch and a starter switch. These days, a device for starting an engine by remote operation of a driver who does not ride in a vehicle has been often used for starting an air conditioner before starting the vehicle in winter or summer.
Such a remote start controller of a vehicle includes a transmitter carried with a driver, a receiver and a controller attached to the vehicle. When the receiver receives a start signal from the transmitter and the controller controls starting of the engine, only if safety conditions are satisfied, the controller generates and outputs pseudo signals to each line of the ignition switch and starter switch to drive the starter motor for starting the engine.
On the other hand, these days, a keyless entry device for controlling a locking action of doors of a vehicle by remote operation of a transmitter has also become widespread and has been installed in a large number of vehicles. The remote start controller and the keyless entry device each require a transmitter. Therefore, users must carry two transmitters; this is cumbersome. The same goes for the case where an antitheft apparatus for setting a security function for a vehicle by remote operation and the remote start controller are installed.
Thus, it is desirable that it should be made possible to control these apparatuses with a common transmitter; hitherto the keyless entry device and the antitheft apparatus have been controlled with a common transmitter. For example, a lock button and an arming button of security are provided as one button and an unlock button and a disarming button of security are provided as one button. When the lock button is operated, security is set in conjunction with the door locking. When the unlock button is operated, security is disarmed in conjunction with door unlocking. However, with the remote start controller, if operation is associated with the lock button or the unlock button, since the driver does not always want to start or stop the engine when locking or unlocking the doors, it would be inconvenient to the user.
On the other hand, to make it possible to control the keyless entry device and the remote start controller with a common transmitter, JP Hei. 9-303020 has proposed that a transmitter is provided with two switches and one of the switches is used as a mode change switch. Specifically, the transmitter is usually operated in a keyless entry mode. In the keyless entry mode mode, a lock command and an unlock command are transmitted by operating the two switches. If a user keeps operating one switch for a predetermined time, the mode is switched from the keyless entry mode to an engine control mode. In the engine control mode, an engine start command and an engine stop command are transmitted by operating the two switches.
Likewise, to make it possible to control the keyless entry device and the remote start controller with a common transmitter, JP Hei. 9-322265 A has proposed that a position of an antenna of a transmitter is changed manually between keyless entry operation and remote start operation and that the transmitter selectively transmits a door lock command or an engine start command in response to the position of the antenna when the user operates the common switch.
Further, to make it possible to control a security apparatus and the remote start controller with a common transmitter, JP 2002-130034 A has proposed that the transmitter is provided with an engine start switch and a security switch.